Bariatric Recipes High Protein: 12 Surgeon-Approved Meals for Post-Op Patients

Bariatric recipes high protein are very important for people who have had gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass surgery, or SADI-S surgery. After these surgeries the stomach can only hold an amount of food about 4 to 6 ounces. To get protein, which is 60 to 80 grams per day you need recipes that are made just for people who have had bariatric surgery.

 Dr. Frenzel and the team at BodEvolve Bariatric Surgery Center in Texas, has put together a collection of recipes that are high in protein. These recipes are designed to meet the needs of people who have had surgery. Each recipe has least 20 grams of protein per serving and the portion sizes are small. The recipes also have little sugar and the ingredients are easy to find at most grocery stores.

BodEvolve have seen that many recipes online are not good for people who have had surgery. Some recipes are regular recipes with smaller portions and others are too hard to make. The recipes in this collection have been tested with patients and work well in real kitchens.

What Makes a Recipe Genuinely Bariatric-Appropriate

These bariatric recipes are high in protein. Have vegetables as secondary ingredients. They do not have carbohydrates. To make a recipe genuinely bariatric-appropriate it must meet criteria. The recipe must have least 20 grams of protein per serving. The portion size must be small 4 to 6 ounces. The recipe must not have a lot of added sugar. The texture must be right for the stage of recovery the patient is in.

The recipes must also not have a lot of carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice or bread. Patients should not drink while they are eating. The ingredients must be real food, not protein powder or artificial sweeteners. The 12 recipes in this collection meet all of these criteria. They are divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes.

Bariatric Breakfast Recipes (High Protein)

Here are some bariatric breakfast recipes that are high in protein:

• Recipe 1: Cottage Cheese Pancakes. This recipe has 22 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 8 minutes. It is good for patients who’re past stage 4 recovery.
• Recipe 2: Greek Yogurt Savory Bowl. This recipe has 20 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 3 minutes. It is good for a breakfast and it works well for patients in any stage past stage 3.
• Recipe 3: Spinach and Cheese Egg Muffins. This recipe has 22 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 25 minutes. It is good for Sunday meal prep. You can eat it throughout the week.

Bariatric Lunch Recipes (High Protein)

Here are some bariatric lunch recipes that are high in protein:

• Recipe 4: Tuna Salad in Lettuce Cups. This recipe has 24 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 5 minutes. It is good for a lunch and it is easy on the stomach.
• Recipe 5: Cottage Cheese Plate. This recipe has 22 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 4 minutes. It is good for a no-cook lunch. It works well on hot days.
• Recipe 6: Egg Salad on Romaine. This recipe has 20 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 6 minutes if you have -cooked eggs. It is good for a make-ahead lunch. It works well as a desk lunch.

Bariatric Dinner Recipes (High Protein)

Here are some bariatric dinner recipes that are high in protein:

• Recipe 7: Lemon Herb Baked Salmon. This recipe has 24 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 18 minutes. It is good for a heart- weeknight dinner.
• Recipe 8: Turkey Meatballs. This recipe has 25 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 30 minutes. It is good for meal prep. You can make a batch for the week.
• Recipe 9: Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower Mash. This recipe has 28 grams of protein per serving. You can make it in 25 minutes. It is good for a weeknight dinner and it works well for patients in any stage past stage 4.

Bariatric Snack-Meal Hybrid Recipes

These are dishes which can serve as a full snack or light meal, based on the serving size. For further information regarding bariatric snacks, refer to our dedicated bariatric snacks guide.

• Recipe 10: Tuna and Avocado Cups

The protein you get from this is 22 grams.

It only takes 5 minutes to get everything ready.

This is really good for when you need a protein boost in the afternoon.

Here are the things you need to make this:

1. One can of tuna that is 3 ounces after you drain the water
2. A quarter of an avocado that you mash up
3. One teaspoon of lime juice
4. A little bit of salt
5. Two or three small leaves of romaine or slices of cucumber

To make this you do the following:

Mash the avocado with the lime juice and the salt.

Then you mix in the tuna that you drained.

After that you put the mix into the romaine leaves or on top of the cucumber slices.

The reason this is good is that you get 22 grams of protein and the avocado has fats.

You do not have to cook anything. It is ready in 5 minutes.

It does not feel like you are eating diet food when you have this Tuna and Avocado Cups.

• Recipe 11: Cottage Cheese with Cucumber and Everything Bagel Seasoning

The protein you get from this is 16 grams.

It only takes 2 minutes to get everything ready.

This is really good for when you need a protein boost in the afternoon.

Here are the things you need to make this:

1. Half a cup of cottage cheese that is 2 percent
2. One third of a cucumber that you slice up
3. One teaspoon of everything bagel seasoning

To make this you do the following:

You put the cottage cheese in a bowl.

Then you put the cucumber slices on top of the cheese.

After that you sprinkle the seasoning on top.

The reason this Cottage Cheese with Cucumber and Everything Bagel Seasoning works is that it has 16 grams of protein and it is ready in 2 minutes.

This is useful when you need a protein boost. You do not want to eat a full meal.

• Recipe 12: Ricotta and Berry Bowl

The protein you get from this is 18 grams.

It only takes 3 minutes to get everything ready.

This is really good, for when you want a snack that will not mess up your blood sugar.

Here are the things you need to make this:

1. Half a cup of part-skim ricotta cheese
2. A quarter of a cup of berries that you can use fresh or thawed
3. A little bit of cinnamon
4. One teaspoon of chopped walnuts that you can use if you want to

To make this you do the following:

You put the ricotta cheese in a bowl.

Then you put the berries and the cinnamon and the walnuts on top of the cheese.

How it works: 18 g of protein in a snack meal that hits the spot for desserts and does not cause dumping syndrome, the problem discussed extensively in the what causes dumping syndrome guide. The berries give sweetness without using any added sugar.

How to Use These Bariatric Recipes High Protein in a Weekly Plan

These 12 recipes are meant to be interchanged and combined, rather than followed in order. Here is what a typical week of bariatric recipes high protein would include:

Monday: Spinach Egg Muffins (breakfast) → Tuna Salad in Lettuce Cups (lunch) → Grilled Chicken and Cauliflower Mash (dinner)

Tuesday: Cottage Cheese Pancakes → Cottage Cheese Plate → Turkey Meatballs (prepared on Sunday)

Wednesday: Spinach Egg Muffins → Egg Salad on Romaine → Lemon Herb Baked Salmon

Thursday: Greek Yogurt Savory Bowl → Tuna Salad → Grilled Chicken (leftovers)

Friday: Cottage Cheese Pancakes → Cottage Cheese Plate → Turkey Meatballs (last batch prepared)

This totals up to about 75–90 grams of daily protein intake from the main meals alone, as well as extra recipes for snacks, should the need arise. Following this meal plan should allow patients to meet their bariatric protein requirements without resorting to protein powder.

The guide for bariatric meal explains this week in detail.

Talk to a BodEvolve Surgeon About Your Journey

Having bariatric surgery is not just about one recipe or diet trend. It is about eating protein-forward meals that work for your body every day for years. The recipes above are designed to make it easier to do that. If you live in the Dallas, Arlington, Richardson, or Texarkana area and are thinking about surgery you can talk to the team at BodEvolve.

BodEvolve has had more than 14,000 operations conducted, an ASMBS Center of Excellence designation, and 389 five-star ratings from patients at Google. Both Dr. Clayton Frenzel and Dr. Brian L. Holt are board certified, and the nutritionist will work with each patient individually after their surgery to come up with the best diet for them.